Thread: Sheffield or Solingen

I don't see a "huge" difference between any of them. There are undoubtedly differences just not enough for me to give it any thought.

Bob

I have a passion for Sheffield razors not so much for German razors. Japanese and Swedish razors take a great edge as well as American razors. For me though I like the heavier grinds of the old Sheffields.

Thanks. Just finished a W & B full hollow and I think that it might be able to fillet an atom! Sharpest that I've seen. Shave test tomorrow.

My favorite razor is a 7/8" Pre 1881 hollow ground Wade & Butcher that is just so smooth to shave with. I have went to Dr. Matt's idea of finishing on my Coti. under running water& it just really brings out the best on that W&B & most other razors that I own. Some don't care for his honing methods but they have worked for me. He has a bunch of them on U-Tube.


Slawman

Originally Posted by kelbro

Best shaving is subjective but which do you think takes and holds the best edge?

I truly think I depends on the honer and their ability. I think each whether, Sheffield or Solingen, to be great metal.

Sheffield heavy old wedge.

Vintage razors before 1900, Sheffield or American. I just picked up 2 vintage Sheffield's mid 1800's they are fantastic. Modern razors, on a budget get an Aust. Money no object, Mastro Livi. I got 5 Livi's and they are really special.

I began hunting as a teenager using the the ubiquitous Buck 110. I had a tip of one break off. My dad had advanced knowledge of steel. He and another hunter steered me in the direction of Soligen steel. Buck does make good quality sporting knives, but where big game processing becomes onerous and quality of steel is the defining criterion, go with Solingen steel. I still own more than a few Buck knives. They're excellent quality. But since I've bought my first Boker Tree Brand Classic 2002 some 25 years ago, I've never again carried a Buck knife.

I've never owned a Sheffield blade of any sort. I have owned Solingen knives: Boker for big game hunting and Henckels for kitchen.

The Iron Age, which began in Europe around the 8th century BC, ended the reign of Bronze Age weapons. Europe had natural resources to produce steel swords, which we've all seen in documentaries of the Roman Empire. However, the Gauls from Western and Northern Europe invaded and conquered the Roman Empire. I'm sure that Gauls' swords were made of best European steel, most assuredly within the region that's now Germany.

Japan got into the game very late, around 1400 AD. Japan is a natural resource poor country. It has and still does import iron ore for manufacturing steel. The Katana has achieved legendary status with the rise of the Samurai. However, the advent of gunpowder and refined archery equipment made the Katana mostly symbolic. Swords were weapons of warfare, but as warfare advanced, edged weapons became a burden. I believe that the Civil War was the last war involving America during which US military officers carried swords (might be WWI: tradition dies a slow death), again mostly symbolic due to advancements in firearms. We can all predict the outcome of a soldier armed with an edged weapon vs. a soldier armed with a Colt New Army revolver or repeating rifle.

The Japanese do make excellent edged weapons. I own a Japanese Spyderco, a deal that I darn near passed by. It's the Police Model with a full serrated blade, which I thought would be useful in processing big game animals. I've had the knife for about 20 years. I've never used it. While it would be a very easy knife to carry, I haven't. I appreciate a good-quality knife, and Spyderco is all that and more, but I've never been a knife guy except for big game hunting. Now all the rage in big game processing is Havalon: Replaceable blade skinning knives and hunting knives by Havalon Knives With a pair of pliers, a hunter can switch from scalpel-edged blades to sawing blades.

BTW, I have been exposed by aficionados of edged weapons that have opined that while Katana has become synonymous with swords, that Solingen swords manufactured during WWI were of superior quality. It was moot point because the Maxim Machine Gun and then-sophisticated military rifles made edged weapons darn near obsolete.

Whether Japanese steel is of quality of German-manufactured edged weapons and straight razors might be opinion. However, steel quality is scientific, and here Germany reigns supreme. It used to be that Germany dominated surgical implements industry, most notably, the scalpel. The Swiss, if memory serves me correctly, also had a substantial market share of surgical implements. America produces excellent edged weapons, but whether they're of Solingen quality is assuredly debatable.

From what I know of steel and quality products, I'm very partial to all things Solingen. Therefore it was natural for my first straight razor to be manufactured by Solingen Boker. However as science and computer-aided manufacturing progresses, it might just be that Solingen might lose its title of the world's best steel. There are excellent edged weapons and hunting knives that are made in the USA, so it's reasonable to assume that these companies can/do manufacture excellent straight razors.

Were I to buy another straight razor, my first glance would be Solingen. But that might change. However, based upon experience with Soligen Boker, right now it would get my first look. But I wouldn't turn my back to Japanese steel.

I hope this explains my devotion to Solingen steel.